Woodward consults lawyers in takeover row

Sir Clive Woodward is considering legal action in response to a suggestion that he does not have the respect of first-team footballers at Southampton. A consortium headed by the Hampshire businessman Andrew Strode-Gibbons has been planning a bid to replace the chairman Rupert Lowe and, if successful, has said it would be "very unlikely" that the group would keep Woodward in his role as director of football.

In an interview on BBC Radio Five Live, Strode-Gibbons also made claims about Woodward' s status at the club. The rugby union World Cup winner phoned Strode-Gibbons to challenge him over what had been said and has now sought legal advice. "I have to be careful what I say because it has gone to lawyers," he said. "That was the first time I have felt real negativity and it shocked me. I believe in freedom of speech, but not if it's not based on fact. And, as far as I could see, that was not."

Lowe has faced protests from supporters in recent weeks and there have been rumours that another potential takeover consortium may emerge. As yet, however, there have been no formal approaches and Lowe has resisted calls for his resignation.

Woodward accepts his own position could be vulnerable. "I'm here to do a job of work and I'm as hireable and fireable as anyone," he said. "What I would say is all this talk of consortiums and takeovers ... if people want to buy this football club, that's fantastic.

"Come in with their lawyers and legal advisers, talk to the chairman and the board and do the deal. If that means I stay, excellent. If that means I go, then pay up my contract and I'll go and shake hands. I don't worry about that, but I do worry when I hear some guy whose name I don't know talking about me on the radio saying what I'm good at and what I'm bad at - mainly what I'm bad at. That is very undermining to me personally and the club. He is talking from no factual position.

"In terms of me doing the job in terms of sports science, with all due respect to everyone, I am over-qualified. If you don't think you need a sports science department in your club, then you don't need me. If that's how you think you're going to run your football club, and compete against some of the best clubs in the world, then fine."

After playing a major role in the appointment of George Burley as head coach, Woodward, who points to Bolton Wanderers' successful use of sports science, is now pressing ahead with changes to the club's training ground. "I am trying to put in a world-class environment for players to operate in," he said. "It is well documented we are looking to improve the fitness and nutrition and medical side of things, but there are other less well known areas in football such as psychometric training, vision awareness, visualisation, bio-mechanics."

Work on a complex costing an estimated £1.8m is due to be completed next month and Woodward, who works from what was the manager's office, will be based in the new facility, which will have areas for players to relax.

Southampton have spent only a small proportion of the income from the sale of players like Peter Crouch, Theo Walcott, Kevin Phillips, Antti Niemi and Nigel Quashie, but Woodward said that investing in the training ground will not significantly dent Burley's transfer budget. Woodward also said reports putting his annual salary at £1.5m or £750,000 were "grossly exaggerated". "That does cause problems because people say 'we could buy a player for that'," he said.

Last October Lowe was awarded £250,000 after suing the Times for a comment story that criticised his handling of the dismissal in 2000 of his then manager Dave Jones. After the Times appealed, Lowe settled for an out-of-court payment reported to be £50,000.